Freestyle - Short Strokes

Posted by Glenn Mills on Mar 22, 2011 07:55AM (11,477 views)

We've referred to this type of drill before as "short release", so we're revisiting this concept.

Why do it:
There are a few reasons to practice this technique, one would be to learn how to vary your stroke to avoid injury, another would be to shift all the focus of your stroke to the front. Additionally, some people find it helps them develop a more efficient stroke, while others see this as a way to increase stroke rate quickly during a race.

How to do it:
1) Swim normally focusing your attention on pushing all the way through the end of the stroke, even flipping your hand out at the finish.
2) Swim the next length lifting your hand out early, as early as the top of your hip.
3) Put on some paddles to give some extra push, and focus on the complete push through the stroke.
4) With the paddles still on, take the hand out early.

How to do it really well (the fine points):
Swim some 50's long course counting your strokes and setting up your rhythm. Using the same rhythm, see how close you can get the stroke count using the short stroke vs. the long stroke. You may be surprised just how close the two are, and how spending time focusing on this short release pushes your focus to the catch out front. Swim normally after these 50's and you'll see how much better your catch is.

freestyle, catch, stroke count, stroke rate

Responses

Brian Deller	Responded Mar 22, 2011 07:00PM How Ironic. I have been toying with this concept this past week. I found that I had slipped into the bad habit of pulling late in my stroke. This is a very important drill focus early on on the training cycle.
Al Kubeluis	Responded Mar 25, 2011 11:42AM I used short strokes yesterday for a 500 and a number of 100s, 50s, and 25s. My times for these were good, but what stood out was how much easier these swims were! When I focused on stopping pull effort at hip, I realized that previously I was pulling too far back and up, thus wasting energy, getting little forward movement, and reducing stroke rate. In 500, I was breathing every right stroke. So by increasing stroke rate with short strokes, I was breathing more and swimming better oxygenated.
Al Kubeluis	Responded Mar 25, 2011 11:56AM Glenn ... I guess the short stroke principle applies to all four strokes? ... Do you have short stroke drills for the other strokes?
André Gatti Zancul	Responded Apr 16, 2011 05:40PM If the short stroke is so great why the top swimmers are still doing the complete stroke ??
Glenn Mills	Responded Oct 26, 2011 07:08PM It's an option... believe it or not, not everyone can do what the "top" swimmers do.
gandrewe	Responded Feb 09, 2012 06:05PM I am good masters swimmer. I thought I had a good freestyle stroke. Good enough to win races. I bought finis watch last year. This records whole sessions, laps, stroke count times etc . You can display on computer and see performance at every lap. It counts strokes so you can see distance per stroke and seconds per stroke (stroke is 1 cycle with both arms). I have been recording training with it 270km since June 2011. 2-3 sessions per week average 3000m+ not counting kicking and drills. Not having seen this blog I have been experimenting. One session I tried what I thought was ridiculous shortening recovering near hip or as hand passed shoulder feeling like doing half a stroke. I expected to find distance per stroke halved or much reduced. It felt very ineffective, easy and not sensible. I was astounded to find the distance per stroke was not much different to my normal swim. I do around 2.4m per stroke pushing right through. It was around 2.3m with exaggerated short stroke. Since then have been using short stroke and getting better 2.5m/stroke consistently as I got used to it. Much less effort and therefore able to maintain more easily. Some learning to do to adapt as effort is put in in different place and therefore using less trained muscles which will improve with practice. Shorter stroke should make it easier to speed up stroke rate and therefore speed. Although I find so far my stroke rate in aerobic swim is about the same. Finis watch has variabe display feedback. So in swims now i have display pace (100m) and distance per stroke which i can check in between repetitions. So I totally endorse your statements and have facts to prove this. I wish I had found this out years ago. I have spent years trying to lengthen stroke by pushing right through without realising that there was better way! It is difficult to explain the result. It goes against what common sense would predict. I am an engineer so should have chance to understand but its complicated. I think what actually happens is that earlier start towards recovery brings elbow up and there is more effective propulsion from that. Also notice that arm still comes out of water near hip and hand behind that as the finish of the stroke movements are automatic and you are not conscious of what actually happens at that point, so what actually happens I suspect stroke is not quite as short as one thinks. I don't know if this works for everyone but it certainly works for me.
Glenn Mills	Responded Feb 09, 2012 06:49PM Thanks for the post, and great to hear other people confirm trials and experiments. Always try something crazy... just never know if it's going to work or not.
Sheila	Responded Feb 10, 2012 12:56AM I am such a data geek, I would love to have stats like gandrewe describes. But I can't bring myself to spend the money on that Finis watch (yet?). Nice discussion.
Reemi Wentzel	Responded Feb 20, 2012 08:47PM I just see this drill! Wow that looks really interesting to try this out. And to find out how I am actually pulling. Well to morrow is another day. Almost can't wait to try this. Yip .. always something to learn! I wonder how this drill will work with the butterfly..

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Freestyle - Short Strokes

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